LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer rejected calls for an investigation into finance minister Rachel Reeves’ failure to secure the correct paperwork for a house rental, saying her apology was enough to bring the matter to a close.
Reeves wrote to Starmer late on Wednesday, apologising for the “inadvertent mistake” of not applying for a licence to rent out her house in south London, something which she has now applied for.
Starmer said that under the code for ministerial behaviour, an apology was a sufficient resolution, after the Daily Mail splashed the news on its front page.
“In light of your prompt action to rectify the position, including your apology – further investigation is not necessary,” he said in his reply, in letters which were published by the government.
Lawmakers from the opposition Conservative Party have called for a full investigation, with Conservative Party finance policy chief Mel Stride telling Sky News on Thursday that Reeves’ position was not tenable.
Reeves has been under huge pressure before her budget on November 26, with expectations she will be forced to break election pledges and hike some taxes after warnings official forecasts could show the economy is in a worse state than once thought.
Since winning an election 15 months ago, Starmer has already lost some high profile ministers, most notably deputy prime minister Angela Rayner. She resigned in September after a report found she had breached the ministerial code by not paying the correct taxes when she purchase a property.
(Reporting by Sarah Young, additional reporting by Muvija M; Editing by Kate Holton)
